Permanent waving is a process whereby a reducing agent is applied to the hair structure to open the disulfide linkages of the hair which are formed by the amino acid cystine. In the conventional two-step perming process, hair is wound onto an appropriate mandrel, e.g., roller or rod, etc., prior to and/or following reduction with a suitable reducing agent. The protein chains flow under tension to assume the imparted shape. After rinsing, an oxidizing agent (also termed a neutralizer) such as hydrogen peroxide is then applied, generally at ambient or elevated temperatures, to re-establish or close the disulfide linkages of the hair which, in effect, hardens the protein structure to set the hair in conformity with the shape of the mandrel. Excess oxidizing agent is then rinsed from the hair and the hair dried.
To date it has not been accepted cosmetic practice to shampoo and/or condition hair which has been newly permed since, as a general rule, commercially available shampoo/conditioner formulations adversely affect the setting or curl retention features of the permed hair. This is believed due to the fact that deposition of shampooing and/or conditioning materials on the permed hair would inhibit the naturally occurring air oxidation (neutralization) process which is desirable to further the closing of those disulfide linkages which may have remained open after the perming process.
In contrast, the hair conditioning shampoo composition of this invention provides a shampooing and conditioning treatment for permed hair without adversely affecting the permed condition of the hair. Indeed, the subject compositions, which may be advantageously used even immediately after perming, furthers the curl retention feature of the permed hair, thereby extending the life of the laid permanent wave.